Tales of Vesperia: Shinobi Sect
by pain17ification
Summary: Kaguya was dealt a heavy blow by Naruto and Sasuke, and she finally sees that Naruto's methods for peace held some merit! So, to be sure his method could work in other worlds as well, she has Naruto head to a new world and use the same methods of understanding and bonds to help bring peace! Will Naruto succeed and return home? Or will something make him want to stay? Read and see!
1. Chapter 1: Task of the Rabbit Goddess

**Hi guys! You know, I've been writing stories on this site for a couple of years now and I gotta say that I'd never be as far as I am now without you; the readers! So let me say it now before I get to the story!**

***bows* Arigatou Gozaimasu (Thank you very much)!**

**Okay then! Now that I've gotten that off my chest, let's get on to the story! This is a Naruto and Tales of Vesperia crossover! If you haven't played the game, I **_**highly**_** recommend it to anyone with an Xbox 360 (English Version) or PS3 (Japanese Version)! The game is one of the best I have played _ever_!**

**Also, please note, for those who know the game, that I will be following the Xbox 360 plot!**

**Naruto is owned by Kishimoto and Vesperia by Namco Bandai!**

**X-x-X-x-X**

**Tales of Vesperia: Shinobi Sect**

**Chapter 1: Task of the Rabbit Goddess**

**X-x-X-x-X**

(Location: Fourth Great War Battlefield)

The earth was full of craters, fissured trenches, and hundreds of dead bodies consisting of members of the Great Shinobi Alliance and the White Zetsu Army. A giant stalk that reached the heavens had its roots spread out across the landscape with hundreds of human-sized cocoons that were attached to the roots themselves. The moon that shined down on the battlefield was blood red with concentric circles that had tomoe in each ring.

A single figure stood before a group of five with hair as white as the purest snow, pale eyes that conveyed no emotion, and twin horns that gave her shadow a rabbit-like appearance. She wore a gown that looked to be made of the finest materials and by the best seamstresses in all of history.

This was Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the Rabbit Goddess and mother of the fabled Sage of Six Paths.

Across from her stood two adult males, two young men, and a young woman. The first adult had pale skin that was practically white, heavily damaged skin to the point that half of his face looked completely warped in a spiraling motion, and the fabled Sharingan of the Uchiha Clan in his right eye.

The second adult had gravity defying silver hair, two black eyes with a scar running directly down the left one, a mask covering his face from the nose down, and the standard uniform of the Leaf Village Jonin. He was currently supporting the first mentioned adult.

The young woman had surprisingly pink hair, green eyes, and wore a uniform matching that of the silverette man. She had a diamond marking on her forehead that had spread into an intricate design that spanned across her head and down the sides of her face.

The first of the young men had black hair that spiked upward in the back, strange eyes, and a prominent scowl on his face. He wore a gray shirt, black pants secured by a purple rope, and had an empty sword sheathe resting in the rope behind his back. His right eye was that of the advanced form of the Uchiha dojutsu – the Mangekyou Sharingan – while his left eye was a deep purple with a design matching that of the one on the red moon; the Eye of Six Paths.

The last member of the group of five couldn't have his natural characteristics described due to the energy he was using at the current time. His energy formed around his body as a light-colored coat but with a dark-colored bodysuit underneath. The "bodysuit" covered his torso, reaching down his arms to the knuckles, and down his legs, stopping just above his sandals. It had a light colored circle where an old seal was once placed as well as magatama around his collar. The coat had the symbol of the Sage of Six Paths – an eye with concentric circles resting above nine magatama – on its back. His glowing, spiky hair had two spots that grew upward like horns while his orange-red eyes had cross shaped pupils in them.

These people were Obito Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki respectively. Each one of them was out of breath while Kaguya seemed as fine as ever with the fizzling form of Black Zetsu slinking out of her left sleeve.

_"Why?"_ the woman asked in a soft voice that seemed far too gentle for the devastation she had caused.

Naruto growled at her as he waved an arm to the surrounding area and roared out, "We fight for them; for the people you've enslaved in your damn illusion! We won't let them live the rest of their lives in a lie that you have given them!"

"Illusions can never hold a candle to reality," Sasuke added, his mismatching eyes narrowing at the woman and black creature. "We'll stop you and rid the world of your lies."

_"You say you're fighting for them, but what if they're happier in the dream worlds they are living in?"_

_**"****You humans just don't understand how generous mother is to you all by giving you what you want in the world,"**_ added the Black Zetsu.

"How can you call deceiving an entire world _generosity_?!" cried out Sakura in growing rage. Her friends, her comrades, and everyone she knew were being fed lies and she couldn't stand it.

_**"****Mother is giving them what they have always dreamed of; so of course they can only have it in their dreams."**_

Naruto clenched his fists in anger at the nonchalant way Zetsu had answered Sakura. Deep within him, merged into his chakra network with the help of Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, one of Kaguya's two sons, the nine Bijuu – who once roamed the lands as a singular being known as Shinju – let their anger at the Rabbit Goddess' actions be known. Naruto felt all of their rage and it hurt to hold it all in, but he couldn't let himself act rashly. They needed a plan, and nothing was working.

It was especially difficult with Kaguya's ability to jump to different dimensions, much like the ability **_Kamui_** of the Mangekyou. It was through sheer luck that Obito was able to help the others get to Sasuke and bring them all back to this spot when Kaguya separated him from the others sometime ago.

He gave his old friend a sidelong glance and the younger Uchiha nodded slightly before they both called upon the power Hagoromo had given them. Within their left (Sasuke's) and right (Naruto's) hands, the two called upon a tremendous surge of power that slowly took shape. Sasuke had the flames of **_Amaterasu_** form in his hand while Naruto had the Bijuu form a **_Tailed Beast Ball_** in his.

The two energies began to merge into a black sphere of pure energy mixed with hellish flames before they upped the ante. Sasuke called upon the power of his two dojutsu to bring forth the purple form of **_Susano'o_** while Naruto had the Bijuu take the shape of a Ten-Tailed Beast. The **_Susano'o_** began to cover the beast in what looked to be armor of pure chakra while the combined energy sphere they had created floated in front of the beast's mouth with its ten tails swiping at it to make it gain more power.

The growing energies caused the wind to pick up, and the other three humans were forced down to a knee at the sheer pressure the descendants of the Sage's children were giving off. Kaguya herself actually raised a brow at the pure power coming of the combined sphere while Zetsu looked worried and slunk back into her sleeve.

With a twin roar from both of the young men, the armored beast released its energy attack and sent it rocketing right at Kaguya who held up a hand to block it. As soon as the attack met her hand, a wave of pure force pulsed from it, picking up the earth in a massive earthquake while the winds howled across the land and forced Obito, Kakashi, and Sakura to shield their eyes while Sasuke and Naruto were protected in their combined energies.

Kaguya was slowly finding it harder and harder to hold back the attack and the strain of her chakra was beginning to show with a single bead of sweat running down her brow while her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She brought up her other hand to help hold back the attack, but it barely gave any extra support to her. Her pale eyes, with the veins around them bulging madly, widened in shock as the sphere began to grow unstable and shrink in size. It was about to erupt explosively and she was but a hair's breadth too slow to act before it did.

An explosion of massive proportions erupted from the sphere she was trying to hold back, and this time Naruto and Sasuke had to shield their eyes from the pure intensity of the chakra used. From within the confines of his "mother's" robe, Zetsu felt himself slowly disintegrate from the pure destructive force of the explosion and left the world with one last scream while Kaguya took the major brunt of the attack.

The eruption lasted for such a long time that it felt like a lifetime to Sasuke and Naruto before they felt the power slowly die down. The two, still in their respective energy forms, slowly approached the center of the blast radius.

Deep in the crater that was easily more than fifty feet in depth, Kaguya was on her hands and knees, breathing hard and covered in scorch and scuff marks. Sasuke merely kept his scowl as he stared at her while Naruto lost his in place of a look of uncertainty. Without a word, he released the beast-like energy cloak and jumped into the crater, still in his Six Paths Sage cloak.

When he landed next to Kaguya, he was able to see just how badly the attack had affected her and he felt a small sense of vindication, but he couldn't help the feeling of uneasiness as well. Here was the cause of everything that had gone wrong in his world, and right now she was reduced to a woman on what looked to be her last legs breathing heavily as if dying from lack of oxygen.

"Kaguya…" he muttered, unsure of what to do at the present time.

She on the other merely turned to him and, for the first time in the entire time she was brought back into the world, actually got a good look at him. She saw so much of her son within the young man before her, and yet she also saw _his_ face. This man standing just a few feet away from her had her son's power and he carried his ideals as well; the belief of Ninshū (Shinobi Sect).

_"I see… So that's why…"_ she weakly noted as her breathing slowly returned to normal. Her chakra was damaged intensely, but there was still enough for something. She stared into his eyes and, much to his surprise, smiled at him. _"You have my child's teachings burned into your very soul. Perhaps…he was right after all."_

"What do you mean?" he asked her in confusion.

_"Tell me,"_ she began, ignoring his question for the moment, _"what do you believe is needed for a peaceful world?"_

He blinked in astonishment at the sudden question before he shook off his surprise and narrowed his eyes at her. "Why are you asking me this?"

_"Please… Just answer the question."_

He kept his eyes narrowed at her before he closed them and released an exhale of air. When they opened again, he answered, "I believe that, in order to reach that peaceful future, we need to learn to understand one another and form bonds that grow as we do. If we do not learn to understand others, then we can never achieve that peace."

She nodded absently, seeing the similarity in his words to the ones her son had once preached before his death. _"I see…"_ she whispered before she looked directly into his eyes again. _"You…are strong for someone born into this world we live in."_

Naruto couldn't help the small smile that came to his face at her words. "That's because I'm not alone. I have my friends, my comrades, and everyone I can trust standing beside me and lending me their strength. I can feel each and every bond I have with them fuel my desire to keep them safe and help bring peace." He then rested his hand on his stomach as his smile turned slightly sad. "I also have the Bijuu lending me their strength, as well as their trust in me. They trusted me enough to tell me their names, and I've engraved them in my heart along with the names of everyone else I see as precious to me."

Kaguya chuckled at his words, nodding at the conviction in his voice. _"I can see the strength that they give you… Therefore, I have a…request to make of you."_

"A request?" he asked in total confusion, keeping his body tense in case she was trying anything.

_"Yes. Your actions today, along with the actions of those who have supported you, have shown me that your method of peace seems to work best…for this world at least."_

"What do you mean this _world_?" he questioned, growing nervous for some reason.

_"There are others out there, but that's not the point I am trying to make. My request for you is to go to one of those worlds and try to bring peace to it in the same manner you have for this one; through understanding and bonds. I need to know if this method only works here or if it's just as good in other worlds."_

"You want to…send me away? What if I refuse?" he challenged, his eyes burning slightly in defiance.

_"Then I'll retreat and come back when my strength has returned to challenge your method of peace in another way,"_ she retorted in total calm as her power formed a dimensional gateway behind her so that she can quickly escape, making Naruto curse. _"Choose child; either you leave this world and prove that your method works that way, or __**I**__ leave and have you prove it in a more forceful manner."_

He gritted his teeth in frustration, wracking his brain for any way to escape the corner he had been pushed into. He asked the Bijuu for their suggestions, but they couldn't come up with anything since they were still quite wary of the Rabbit Goddess.

Finally making a decision, he released a sigh while the Six Paths Senjutsu cloak dissipated and left him in his damaged clothes. From the outer diameter of the crater, Sasuke's eyes widened at what was happening and he made to try and help Naruto. However, Naruto turned his head and their eyes met for a full five seconds before the Uchiha backed down. Naruto had made his choice and, as much as he didn't like it, he'd respect that choice.

Nodding in thanks, Naruto turned back to Kaguya and bit out, "I'll do it."

_"I'm pleased you know when to make the right choices."_

"But," interrupted Naruto before she could continue, "I want your word that you won't try and control the world while I'm gone, and that I will be allowed to return when I'm done helping out this other world."

_"Of course, so long as you are made aware that you may find something worth staying for in this world. I don't know if you will or won't, but it's always a possibility."_

Naruto nodded, though he doubted he'd be compelled to stay. But, just as Kaguya admitted to not knowing for sure, even he didn't know what would happen. It was a possibility that he _could_ find a reason to stay, but he'd let this play its course.

Kaguya stepped aside and presented the dimensional portal to the blonde, blue eyed young man. As he stepped up to it, she stated, _"Remember, I need you to go about it like you naturally would so that I can know for sure if my son's teachings were correct and your method truly works."_

"Right," he murmured. "Anything you can tell me about this world?"

_"No. I know nothing of the other worlds other than that they are out there. I have never personally visited any of them and know of no one who has."_

He narrowed his eyes at that. He'd be going in blind then. A sigh escaped his lips before he stepped through the portal and it closed on him.

As Kaguya watched the spot where Naruto had disappeared from, Sasuke walked up to her and questioned, "You won't be trying anything with him gone, will you?"

She shook her head as she looked up at the moon and deactivated the _Infinite Tsukiyomi_, returning the moon back to its natural silvery glow. _"No… I'm done fighting. I truly wish to see him succeed and prove that my son was correct. Until the day comes that he either proves it right or wrong, I will stay away." _Another portal opened up and she turned to the Uchiha descendant of her son. _"I will fetch you when that day comes,"_ she informed him before she left without another trace.

Sasuke scowled at where she once stood before he sighed and deactivated his Sharingan eye while his Eye of Six Paths remained fully active. He kept it closed to help preserve his chakra as he leapt out of the crater and made his way to the others. As he walked, he muttered, "Don't screw up…Naruto."

**X-x-X-x-X**

(Location: Sothern Plains of Ilyccia)

On a roaming plain, a man with long white hair and intimidating red eyes sat on a rock beside a lone tree and just watched the inhabitants of his world go about their day to day lives. Resting beside him was a red sword that had its edge in a very intricate design and gave off a feeling of incredible power.

Resting beside him was a large dragon with a beak-like maw and wicked talons. It was out of sight of any passing merchants or humans and merely relaxed beside the man.

It suddenly perked its head up as a feeling of immeasurable power suddenly engulfed its senses. The man took notice of this and queried, "What is it?"

_"I'm…not sure. I suddenly felt a massive disturbance in the aer, but it seems to have calmed down,"_ answered the dragon in a feminine voice.

The man narrowed his eyes slightly as he stood up from his seat and picked up his sword, which began to give off a red aura as soon as it was in his grasp. "Where?" was the only thing he asked to her notation.

She stood up on her four legs and opened up her large wings as she answered, _"I'll fly over where I sense it."_

She then took off into the air and headed to a small patch of forest that rested between the small fort known as Deidon Hold and the ill rumored place known as the Quoi Woods. The man's gaze followed her flight before he saw her circle a section of the forested patch. He then made his way there, avoiding any of the stray monsters that roamed the lands.

As he entered the forest and approached the clearing, he heard the voice of a young man apparently talking to himself since he would ask a question, pause, and the respond as if he was answered.

When he finally reached the clearing, he took his first glance at what his partner, Khroma, sensed and raised a brow in slight confusion. The young man had spiky hair that was practically sun-kissed blonde, tanned skin with strange markings on his cheeks, and bright blue eyes. His attire was so damaged that he looked to have barely escaped a warzone. Black sandals that left his toes and heels exposed led up to tattered orange pants, an orange and black jacket riddled in cuts and tears, a mesh shirt, and finally a black headband that had a metal plate stitched to it. The plate itself had a strange spiral marking that looked to be an arrowhead to the man's eyes.

"I know, but maybe there's a town that could help me out somehow," the blonde continued in his speech before pausing. "Damn… I didn't consider that. I doubt my money is worth anything here."

The white-haired man observed the blonde speak seemingly to himself for a moment longer before he finally made his presence known. "Young man, are you alright?"

The blonde perked up and turned to see the speaker before he grinned brightly. "Oh, thank the Kami; a person! I was worried that I'd be lost for a while. I'm okay, sir; a little confused, but okay."

The man took another glance at the younger male's clothes, narrowing his eyes with a thoughtful hum. "You've been through quite an ordeal by the look of things."

The whiskered blonde rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish chuckle after glancing at his clothes. "Yea… You wouldn't believe me if I told you." He then coughed into his hand to regain some composure before he offered a hand out. "I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I'm currently looking for a town to buy some new clothes as well as find some information."

"Information?"

Nodding, Naruto replied, "Yea, you see I'm a little lost in both my sense of direction as well as what sort of place I'm in."

The man was confused at the last part but he answered, "You are currently in a patch of woodland between the Quoi Woods and Deidon Hold." He pointed in the directions of both locations as he spoke.

The blonde sighed once more at that. "Damn, I have no idea what those places are. Just what kind of world did I get sent to?" he mumbled, though the man heard it.

"You speak as if you reside in a world unlike this one…"

He cringed at being heard before he sighed again and took a seat on the ground. "You'd be correct, sir. It's a _long_ story, but I promise you that I'm not crazy. I really am from a different world."

The man kept his eyes narrowed on the blonde young man before he looked up and gave an unnoticeable nod to Khroma, who took cover near their location to listen in. "I'm listening…"

Naruto gave a grateful smile at the fact that he was at least being heard as he began, "Well, to start with, my world is gifted with a source of energy known as chakra…"

For the next couple of hours, Naruto told the man about many aspects of his world such as chakra, the Ninja System, the Tailed Beasts known as Bijuu, and the Shinju (God Tree). He then continued on by talking about the Fourth Great Ninja war, the opposing sides of the Great Ninja Alliance and the Akatsuki, the return of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, and finally the task that said woman had given him.

To help prove his story, Naruto used the Yang Chakra bestowed upon him by Hagoromo to create human-sized, chakra-based manifestations of the Nine Bijuu. The man and hidden dragon were stunned at the sight of the great beasts and were even more astounded when each spoke with a personality unique to them.

When Naruto finished talking, he released the chakra projecting the manifestations and waited patiently for the man before him to speak. He had just taken an incredible gamble by putting all of his cards on the table, but he desperately needed someone to help him understand how the world he was currently in worked.

Finally, the man spoke, "Quite a tale you've just told me. And I'm surprised with myself in saying that I can honestly believe you. You do not seem the type to lie about anything; even to an enemy."

The Uzumaki shook his head with a smile. "Nope, I've never really been good at lying. I can't stave off that guilt I feel whenever I try to."

"Hmm," the man nodded. "So, you have been sent to this world in order to try and prove that your method of understanding and bonding can help bring peace." A nod was his answer. "And you have within you a power never before seen in this world, as well as nine beasts of even greater power." Another nod came from the blonde. "Tell me, how do you plan to accomplish this without any knowledge of our world?"

The Uzumaki narrowed his eyes and raised a fist over his heart in determination as he declared, "I've never been one to give up just because something seemed too difficult or even impossible. I made a promise to my late master that I'd bring peace to my world, and I can't do that without proving to Kaguya that I can do the same in this world! So I don't care if it's hard! I'll charge ahead and learn all I can while helping the rest of this world find the peace it deserves; that _all_ worlds deserve! I swear on my Ninja Way, and on my very soul!"

Khroma was impressed at the pure conviction in his voice, and she was able to sense the Bijuu flow their power through the boy, as if voicing their agreement. She turned to Duke, who had an unreadable expression on his face, and was highly curious as to what he would say.

Duke himself had to mentally give the blonde before him praise for his dedication and his heart. A very rare few in the world had as much drive as the Uzumaki did before him, and a ghost of a smile made its way to his face.

"I see…" he began, seeing the fire in Naruto's eyes not dying for even a moment. "Such conviction… I cannot deny that you have a pure heart and a decent head on your shoulders." Naruto waited patiently as he stayed silent for a few moments in thought. After that moment of silence, Duke nodded to himself and looked the descendant of Hagoromo in the eye. "Very well, then. I cannot let such determination for this world's future go unanswered."

"So…?" Naruto asked, unsure of what Duke was planning.

"I will teach you enough about what I know about this world so that you may get started on the task given to you. Like you, I wish to see this world gain the peace it so desperately needs, and I believe that you may be a key factor in helping it get there."

The blonde grinned happily as he bowed in gratitude. "Thank you! I'm happy to help this world and I'll take any information you can give me!" He then blinked in realization and stated, "Hey…I never got your name."

Giving nothing away externally, the man replied, "My name is Duke Pantarei. Now, before you can hope to understand the way this world works, you must understand aer."

"Air? As in, the air around us and things like a breeze?" asked a confused Naruto.

Shaking his head, Duke answered, "Not with an 'I'; with an 'E'. Aer is all around us and affects us in various ways. It's the natural source of power that resides in this world; Terca Lumireis."

For the next hour, Duke explained to Naruto the concept of aer as a whole before moving on to subjects such as blastia; items that have formulas placed on them that help them draw in and utilize aer for various uses. Naruto hung onto every word, growing more and more interested by the minute if the small grin on his face was anything to go by.

**X-x-X-x-X**

(Skit: First Lessons)

Naruto: So, aer is just the energy that flows around the world?

Duke: That is its simplified definition. Aer affects everything in our Terca Lumireis; the plants, the weather, and even our internal functions.

Naruto: Wow… It reminds me so much of Nature Chakra... Well, except that it isn't limited to Sages.

Duke: Nature Chakra?

Naruto: Oh, right. In my world, people known as Sages were taught about the pure and natural energy that could be gathered from all living things such as plants and other life forms. However, it was very risky since over exposure could kill you. For Sages associated with Toads, the consequence is becoming a petrified stone toad statue for the rest of your life.

Duke: So even your power has risks… Aer is very similar in that manner. Should you come across areas where the aer is very dense, or even visible, it would be in your best interest to stay away. Prolonged exposure would most certainly kill you.

Naruto: Hmm... Okay, I'll try to do that; but I can't promise anything if there's no other option. I won't be able to just sit by and do nothing if there's a crisis and a thick level of aer is in the way.

Duke: ...

**X-x-X-x-X**

By the time Duke finished his impromptu lesson with Naruto, the Uzumaki was grinning widely at the source of power in the world and couldn't wait to learn more. Duke capitalized on this and went on to tell Naruto of the opposing forms of government known as the Empire and its Knights against the Union and its Guilds.

The knights and Empire left a strange feeling in Naruto's thoughts. He couldn't help but grow wary of them already when Duke explained them. However, he grew interested in the Guilds since they were basically smaller versions of the Ninja Villages his world had. They took on jobs, took in new members who had similar ideals, and lived in freedom of the Empire.

He could see himself joining a Guild; or maybe even starting one.

While Naruto processed this, Khroma silently spoke to Duke and told him of a smaller aer disturbance coming from the Quoi Woods. He nodded to her and she flew off while he approached Naruto.

"I believe this is the time we part ways, Naruto Uzumaki. I have my own tasks to accomplish and you need to get started on your own."

"Oh," he began, seemingly downtrodden. "Well, alright then… I guess I'll-"

He suddenly tensed as a strange feeling enveloped his senses and he turned to the direction of the Quoi Woods with narrowed eyes. Duke raised a brow at this while Naruto kept his eyes narrowed in confusion and worry.

"There's…something wrong in that direction. It feels like the area is being disturbed by something…"

That surprised Duke. It seemed as if Naruto had a connection to the aer, though he assumed that it was his chakra trying to adapt to this world that created the connection. _'No doubt this will be quite a boon for him in the future. If he has the ability to sense aer disturbances like the Entelexeia, then he may be able to help calm those disturbances down.'_

Naruto suddenly started walking towards the woods, forcing Duke to follow since he was heading that way anyway.

Along the way to the woods, Naruto took notice of the various species of monsters in the area and Duke informed him that they were natural creatures in the world that acted only on their instincts and nothing more. A few monsters tried their luck against the duo, acting on their instincts in attacking other creatures out of the need to be seen as alpha.

Naruto, being weaponless, was forced to fight barehanded against them while Duke used his sword to fight them off. However, Duke saw this as an opportunity to see how the blonde travelling with him held himself in a battle.

To say he was impressed was a slight understatement.

Naruto demonstrated his incredible adaptability with his chakra, creating clones to assist him in battle and attacking the monsters with his strange spheres of spiraling energy. However, the biggest surprise was when the Uzumaki called upon the power of Matatabi, the Nibi, to spew out a bluish-black fireball that split into smaller pieces and hit many targets.

Naruto on the other hand was happy to have the Bijuu be able to help him even outside of his Six Paths Senjutsu cloak. However, Kurama, the Kyuubi, had warned him that their powers were limited outside of the cloaked form. This didn't deter Naruto though. In fact, it made him much more excited since he could train using their respective powers and see just how far the limits of their chakra went.

By the time the duo reached the Quoi Woods, the feeling of the aer being disturbed was much more concentrated and Naruto was able to lead Duke right to it. In a small clearing, a broken blastia was seen on the ground with its core glowing brightly and emitting an abnormal amount of aer.

Naruto hummed in thought on what to do before Duke surprised him by simply stepping up to the blastia and raising his sword. A circle of power formed underneath him with sections rising from it and circling the red-eyed man before lighting up the area in a brilliant flash.

When the light died down and Naruto opened his eyes, he felt the area's aer return to normal while the core in the blastia was no longer there.

"What'd you do?" he asked in surprise.

As Duke lowered his sword, he answered, "I merely returned the blastia to the aer which it came from. Blastia are in actuality solidified pieces of aer that were given formulas for certain tasks. So, returning it to where it was formed from was the only option."

Naruto's face was set to an expression of slight awe as he whispered, "Whoa… That's amazing."

"It is a simple task for me." Duke then began to head out of the forest with Naruto behind him. "Once outside of these woods, there should be a small town with a large blossom tree as its center. There, you should find people to help you find some new clothes and possibly help you on your quest. We must part ways when we leave these woods."

"Alright," Naruto replied with a nod and smile. "Thank you for everything, Duke. You have no idea how much it means to have you not only believe me, but help me out as well. I'll never forget this."

"As I told you before: I cannot let such determination for this world's future go unanswered," the man responded, waving off his thanks.

When they finally stepped out of the dense woods and Duke pointed to the town, Naruto thanked him once more and set off. Unknown to him, Khroma landed beside Duke and lowered herself so that he could get on her back. _"He certainly is an interesting human. Do you wish for me to keep tabs on him for you?"_

"It would be greatly appreciated, Khroma," he answered, making her nod.

_"Alright then… Truthfully, I'm quite curious as to how far he'll go and what choices he'll make on his path."_

"We won't know until such times come. For now, we should check the other Aer Krene."

She nodded once more before taking off into the air and flying away.

**X-x-X-x-X**

(Location: City of Blossoms, Halure)

From afar, the blossom tree of Halure was already impressive, but up close was another thing entirely. The tree was massive, and the blossoms that filled its branches seemed to be countless in number. But, something was off about the tree, as if it was dying.

Naruto looked away from the tree and to where a barrier outline would be in the sky. He grew concerned when he saw that the outline was wavering weakly. Something was definitely wrong.

"Oh my goodness!" cried a young woman's voice as Naruto turned to see a girl with striking pink hair and green eyes dressed in clothing fit for noble society. Her eyes were wide in worry and concern as she ran up to him and began to frantically look for any wounds or injuries. It actually amazed him at how she so boldly got into his personal space to see if he was alright.

However, it was far too uncomfortable for him, so he gently pushed her away and held her at arm's length. "Hey, breathe!" he ordered sternly, seeing her close to hyperventilating. "Look, I appreciate the concern, I really do, but I'm fine. My clothes are a bit torn and beat up, but I'm okay. So relax, alright?"

The girl took a deep breath and nodded, making him let her go. She then bowed to him and said, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to get in your personal space. I just saw how ruined your clothes were and I just assumed you were hurt."

The blonde chuckled and patted her shoulder warmly. "Hey, no harm no foul. I'm actually flattered that someone would be so worried about me. Not many people have that natural concern for others."

She smiled back at him while a young man, a boy, and a dog walked up from behind her. The older of the two had long blackish-purple hair, gray eyes, and was dressed in black clothing fit for an average person and carried a sword from a rope attached to its sheathe.

The boy had brown hair that was brushed upward, brown eyes, and was quite short. He wore a red scarf, a black long-sleeved shirt underneath a white and green short-sleeved one, brown pants, black and blue shoes, and he carried a large bag that had a weapon handle sticking out of it.

The dog had surprisingly purplish-blue fur with a white underbelly, a scarred and closed left eye, a blue open eye, and carried both a sheathed knife on its collar and a pipe in its mouth.

"Estelle, you shouldn't just run off like that without warning. We thought there was a monster," reprimanded the black-haired male.

The girl, Estelle, looked apologetic and replied, "I'm sorry, Yuri. I just saw this man here in his ripped clothes and I thought he was hurt."

"And so you ran off to try and help him," finished Yuri with a slightly exasperated sigh.

"Whoa whoa, no need to get on her case about it," Naruto reassured them both. "She didn't do anything wrong and I'm grateful for her concern." He then rubbed his head with a thoughtful expression and continued, "Maybe we got off on the wrong foot. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, a traveler looking for a place to replace my clothes."

As he gestured to his ruined clothing, Yuri nodded in agreement before he replied, "Yuri Lowell, and this is my partner Repede." The dog beside him barked in greeting.

The pinkette smiled and nodded to him in greeting. "My name is Estellise, but you can just call me Estelle."

"And I'm Karol Capel, a member of the Hunting Blades Guild!" exclaimed the boy with a smile, making Naruto return it.

"Nice to meet you all. Hey, while I have you here, could you point me to a local seamstress?" asked the Uzumaki.

"There should be someone who sells clothes over at the market stand," Karol suggested while pointing to the only stand in the town.

"Thanks. Where are you all headed?"

"We're headed to the Quoi Woods so that we can collect an eggbear claw to make a Panacea Bottle," answered Estelle.

"Oh, the woods, huh?" Naruto asked as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I just came from there, but I don't remember seeing anything bear-like in there. Maybe I missed it when I was travelling with Duke."

"Who's Duke?"

"Oh, just someone who helped me through the woods and pointed me to this town for clothes." He then sighed and crossed his arms with a slight frown. "Though, I doubt I could get any seeing as I have no money…"

"What, did you lose it in the woods?" asked Yuri in a slightly joking tone, though he didn't mean anything by it.

Naruto shook his head. "Nah… I just don't have any. But don't worry, I'll figure something out."

"Well, if you say so. We'll be back soon if you'll still be in town."

The blonde nodded as they left and he headed for the stand. At first, he tried to offer to pay off the money for the clothes by working it off in the stand, but the man wouldn't have any of it. The stand itself was small enough for one person to run. Naruto would've made another offer, but a sudden shriek of fear from a young child made him quickly turn to see a little girl being chased by a couple of monsters.

Without a second thought, Naruto ran straight for the girl and grabbed her before he dove to the side and out of the way of the charging monsters. "Stay here!" he ordered her, and she nodded fearfully while Naruto faced down the two bird-like monsters, and the four-legged furry monster.

Cracking his knuckles, he scowled at them as they charged at him. He sidestepped a charge from the furred monster before he ducked under the dual strikes from the bird monsters' axe-like beaks. Creating two **_Shadow Clones_**, they both delivered roundhouse kicks to the birds before they crouched and let the original use their backs to perform a double-handstanding kick to their throats. He then leapt over them and charged a **_Rasengan_** to his right hand while his clones did the same and all three of them drove them into the three monsters, killing them with the powerful jutsu.

With a sigh of relief, he burnt the dead bodies of the monsters with some of Matatabi's blue fire. "There we go…"

"Thank you, mister!" cried the little girl as she hugged his legs, making him smile and pat her head gently.

Many other people came over to thank and praise him before the shopkeeper came up to him and offered a hand. "That was pretty impressive, kid. Tell you what; if you keep up the great work until out tree's barrier is restored, I'll give you new clothes free of charge."

"I'll do it!" immediately agreed the blonde as he shook the man's hand.

And so, for the next few hours Naruto had clones stationed all around the town's perimeter while he, the original, waited at the town's main entrance. It was during nightfall that he caught sight of Yuri and the others returning to the weakened town.

Waving them over, he greeted, "Glad you guys made it back. I've been helping keep the town safe while you were gone." He took notice of the claws and the strange fruit in their possession before he grinned. "You got it?"

"Yea, we got it and we have everything we need for a Panacea Bottle!" exclaimed Karol in excitement.

The blonde nodded and ushered them into the town as he left another clone in his place and followed them. The shopkeeper was quick to make them a Panacea Bottle and they rushed it to the base of the tree. This was the first time Naruto had seen it and his eyes immediately went to the bloodstained earth near its roots.

_'No wonder it was so dead looking and weak. The blood must've been poisoning it from the inside,'_ he mused.

**"Still, knowing this what could you have done, Naruto?"** asked the voice of Matatabi.

_'I know I couldn't have done much, but at least now I know why the tree was like this.'_

**"Ever the optimist,"** Isobu, the Sanbi, noted with a chuckle that was joined by the other Bijuu.

Naruto was silent as he observed Karol use the Panacea Bottle to try and heal the tree. However, their hopes were crushed when nothing happened and there were no ingredients left for another bottle.

His eyes narrowed when he suddenly felt another spike in the output of aer and saw Estelle step up to the tree. They widened in surprise when her form began to glow brightly and he heard her whisper.

"Please Great Tree," she began before she softly finished, "bloom."

The glow from her form spread to the tree and everyone bore witness to it suddenly grow livelier and bloom with its blossoms shining in the bright moonlight.

"By the Kami," whispered Naruto, shocked at the utter display of healing power from the pinkette girl.

He was brought out of his shock when he saw Estelle drop to her knees, out of breath. He helped Yuri bring her back up to her feet before he noticed the brunette look off to another section of town. He followed his gaze and took notice of red-eyed men in suspicious looking clothes moving through town.

"I'm guessing those guys aren't friendly," Naruto stated to Yuri, making him nod.

"Yea, we had a little run in with them back in the Capital. They're bad news, so we better sneak out of here while we can."

"Right… Mind if I tag along with you guys? I've got nowhere to go and you seem like a decent bunch."

Yuri looked to him with a raised brow before he shrugged. "Fine by me, so long as you pull your weight."

"Of course! Just let me get some clothes from the stand since that guy owes me them for helping keep the town safe."

"Okay, meet us at the entrance."

Naruto nodded before he rushed over to the stand and spoke to the shopkeeper. The man was all too happy to give him the clothes he needed and Naruto quickly changed out of his ruined ones and into his new ones. He still wore his black sandals since they were still well enough to wear. However, his new outfit consisted of black cargo pants, a red long-sleeved shirt, a dark brown coat that had short sleeves and fell to the backs of his knees, and an orange cloth that he'd stitch his Leaf Village plate onto later.

**X-x-X-x-X**

(Skit: My Reasons)

(Naruto, Kurama, and Matatabi are present)

Naruto: Alright, I finally got rid of those ruined clothes. I looked pretty bad in them.

Kurama: **Of course you did! They were a bright ass orange, for heaven's sake!**

Naruto: *glaring* Oi! Don't you dare insult my favorite color, Furball!

Kurama: *growls* **Don't call me that, brat!**

Matatabi: **No offense to your preferences, Naruto, but why did you wear orange anyway?**

Naruto: *smiles* Simple; I wore them because it was the first present I got from Old Man Sarutobi. At least, that's the reason for when I was younger. But now… I guess I wear orange now because it reminds me of my parents.

Matatabi: **Your parents?**

Naruto: Yea… My father was known as the "Yellow Flash" while my mother was the "Red Hot-Blooded Habanero"… Orange is a mix of their colors, so one day I'll be known as the "Orange Hokage" of the Leaf Village!

Kurama: **Hmph… I guess that's an okay enough reason. But still, why orange?**

Matatabi: **Uh, Kurama-nii?**

Kurama: **Yea?**

Matatabi: **Aren't **_**you**_** orange?**

*Kurama looks shocked while Naruto laughs*

**X-x-X-x-X**

After thanking the shopkeeper, Naruto rushed over to the entrance and met up with the others. Yuri nodded to him in greeting while Estelle and Karol smiled at him.

"Glad you can join us," greeted the swordsman.

"I'm glad you guys didn't leave without me. So, where're we headed?"

"To Aspio, the City of Scholars," answered Estelle. "Yuri believes that someone who stole the Aque Blastia of Zaphias' lower quarter is hiding there."

"Ah, so we're hunting a thief then. Alright then, let's go!" grinned Naruto.

The others nodded as they left Halure and made their way northwest to the famed City of Scholars. Naruto couldn't help but feel that his journey was gonna get slightly crazier than he originally thought in the future.

The Bijuu within him couldn't help but agree.

**X-x-X (End Chapter) X-x-X**

**Well, here we are with the first chapter! Man, this was so much fun to type up! I hope you all enjoyed the story and that those who don't know the game either play it or look it up! I highly recommend it!**

**Now, I mentioned this before in a different story, but the pairing for this story is going to be Naruto and Judith! Naruto may have **_**insane**_** power, but he won't use it unless he absolutely needs to! Besides, he still needs to train in using the power of each Bijuu's respective abilities!**

**So, he won't be all "badass godlike" in this story! *grins***

**Now, please review this story! Please! I want – no I **_**need**_** to hear your thoughts on it! So please, for the love of God, review!**

**Also, I wanna give a big shout out to DJexe for all of his amazing help in the planning of this story! Thanks a lot dude!**

**pain17ification**


	2. Chapter 2: The Journey Begins

**Hey everyone… You know, I've been thinking over a lot of things lately – especially with recent events – and I can't help but feel like I've lost that drive and spark we all have as people.**

**Life, I guess, just caught up to me and I'm finding it hard to deal with. So much responsibility, so much to worry about, and so much heartbreak are breaking me down piece by piece. I'm not sure what to do, really.**

**But, I will keep going on because I made a promise to someone very important to me before she was lost to me. I promised I wouldn't quit after she left and that I would press on. And while it is hard and I desperately wish to just end it so that I don't have to go through more suffering and despair, I refuse to let down the woman I loved with all my heart and soul. I guess I'm just asking for support is all.**

**So, here we are with chapter two of this story. I do not own Naruto (Kishimoto) or Tales of Vesperia (Namco Bandai). I also do not own any music I use for the fights.**

**X-x-X-x-X**

**Tales of Vesperia: Shinobi Sect**

**Chapter 2: The Journey Begins**

**X-x-X-x-X**

(Location: Central Plains of Ilyccia)

The group of four humans and one canine had made quite a distance from the blossoming city as soon as Yuri took note of the "Red Eyes" in the vicinity. Naruto and Karol were in the dark about who they were, but Yuri promised to tell them when they set up some sort of camp for the night.

And so, here they were seated behind some cover of brush in the Ilyccian Plains. They had no actual tents in their supplies, so it was an open air night for them.

"Alright Yuri, who are these Red Eyes you mentioned?" Karol asked, out of patience while Naruto merely turned his attention to them from his stargazing.

Yuri took a minute to gather his thoughts before he began explaining. "The Red Eyes were some people who attacked me and Estelle back at the Capital. One in particular, some psycho named Zagi, thought I was my friend Flynn and tried to kill me. Estelle and I beat him before he and his friends left."

"And it was Zagi and his associates that you saw back in Halure, wasn't it?" asked the whiskered blonde.

"Yea, it was. With Estelle tired from…whatever it was she just did, I didn't want to risk another run in. Plus there were way too many innocent people that could've been hurt in the process."

Naruto nodded before he went back to his stargazing, drowning out the others as they decided on how to continue in the morning. His eyes slowly lost focus before he saw himself standing in the center of a space where the nine Bijuu resided in him.

Taking a seat like he had seen Jiraiya do many times before, he asked, "What's up, guys?"

**"We were just discussing the similarity of this world's aer to your chakra,"** answered Gyūki, the Hachibi.

**"It appears that you can actively draw on the aer to replenish your reserves, as well as call upon aer within living organisms for your Sage Mode,"** continued Son Goku, the Yonbi.

"Well, that's good to know. At least I won't have to worry about rationing my chakra like I did before."

**"If you did have to ration it,"** began Isobu, **"how do you believe you would've survived the long run, considering we need chakra to live?"**

"To be honest, I was under the belief that I wouldn't be able to replenish it and would be on a time limit in this world before Kaguya came to bring me back. So, hearing that the aer is a perfect substitute is a huge relief."

Kurama smirked at that and teased, **"Ever the worry wart, eh Naruto?"**

"At least I'm not a choice for a fur coat," fired back Naruto with a grin while the other Bijuu just chuckled at the dynamic the two had.

**"At any rate, you won't have to worry about going out early, kitten,"** Matatabi reassured. **"Now, we can focus on fulfilling Kaguya's request."**

**"I'm still curious as to why you accepted that request when you and the Uchiha were able to take her down before at low power,"** commented Saiken, the Rokubi.

"That may be true, but something tells me that she could've turned that fight around, but she underestimated Sasuke and me."

Chomei, the Nanabi, hummed in thought. **"Do you believe that she possibly wished for the fighting to just end? Kaguya seems to place a lot of hope into you that you prove her wrong."**

**"That's true,"** Kokuō, the Gobi, said in agreement. **"She even left your spiritual brother there since you followed the same belief as our father."**

**"Whatever the reasons, we can't let what happened back there be in vain. I've finally decided to renew my faith in you humans,"** Shukaku, the Ichibi, stated before pointing a claw at Naruto. **"You better not disappoint me, friend of Gaara."**

The blonde narrowed his eyes with a serious face and nodded. "I wouldn't dream of it, Shukaku," he declared before he left his mindscape and regained focus to the outside. Still gazing at stars, he was unaware of the others silently watching him so focused on the evening lights in the sky.

"He's been stargazing for almost an hour now," Karol whispered to the others.

"I know. Talk about a way to pass time," commented Yuri.

"I think it's a wonderful hobby," Estelle said as she herself looked up into the starry sky. "The stars just light up the sky so beautifully that it's mesmerizing."

"Really?" asked the swordsman in an almost flat tone as he too looked up. "If you say so, Estelle."

Karol decided to go with the flow and look up as well, absently trying to locate the constellations of the evening. As the three were stargazing, Naruto finally turned down to the plains below their position and looked to the still blooming tree of Halure.

"No one's gonna believe me when I get back," he murmured to himself with a soft chuckle. "I hope it doesn't take too long to help this world."

He was brought out of his musings when Estelle spoke up. "Say Naruto, why were your clothes so damaged when you arrived to Halure?"

He turned to her and took note of the two males and Repede also paying attention to what his answer would be. Humming and cupping his chin in thought, he answered, "Well, I was in a pretty epic fight before I traveled to Halure. It was easily my toughest battle ever, but I pulled through."

"Who were you fighting?" asked Karol.

"Or _what_ were you fighting?" added Yuri.

The blonde waved them off with a foxy grin. "Sorry, but that's not something you need to know. Just know that I'm here for this world's best interests."

"Best interests?" asked Estelle in confusion. "What do you plan to do?"

Smiling and pointing to himself with his thumb, he answered, "I'm going to bring peace to this world and help everyone understand each other. My teacher and my sibling student both entrusted their wills to me, so I'm going to achieve their dreams for them."

"What exactly did you study to be?" questioned Yuri.

"I was trained to be a Sage and learned how to harness and understand nature."

"A Sage?" asked Karol. "What's a Sage?"

"A Sage; _a profound philosopher distinguished for wisdom_," answered Estelle as she recited a book she once read. "_It is said that Sages learn from the world and live for the world. Most are reclusive due to submersing themselves in nature while others take on disciples and followers of their cause_."

Naruto, the other guys, and even the Bijuu all blinked in slight surprise at the literal textbook answer to Karol's question. "That's…a bit more than he asked for, Estelle," slowly commented Naruto. "Besides, you didn't mention what I already told you; about how I harness and understand nature."

"How do you 'harness' nature?" Yuri queried, confused at what Naruto was saying.

"All life has energy; humans, plants, animals, and even our surroundings. I was taught how to call out those energies and use them for my needs and goals. However, it's a tricky process to bring out those energies and I have to have a complete balance of my _own_ inner power as I draw in natural energy."

"That almost sounds like you're relating yourself to how a blastia draws in aer," Estelle commented.

Nodding, the Jinchuriki replied, "In a way, I am. But anyway, the point is that I'm a Sage and I plan to help this world achieve peace."

"That's an admirable goal, Naruto."

"Admirable; but with the way things are, I'd say it's also impossible," stated Yuri as he laid back on the grass. "You're gonna have a really hard time settling the disputes between the Empire and the Guilds."

"Yea," added Karol, "the Union isn't really trusting of the Empire. It's why they formed their own society and government. I'd say that would be the biggest issue."

"Well then, I'll just have to make sure I can convince them that they _can_ work together," declared Naruto before they decided to get some rest.

The following morning, the group arrived at the entrance of the cavern city of Aspio. Estelle was enamored by the crystal like structures jutting from the cave walls while Yuri and Karol were more concerned about the two guards at the main stairs. Naruto on the other hand allowed his senses to expand and feel out the energies of the "mages" that the city was famous for producing.

So far, he had felt quite a few people that were attuned to the aer around them, though the aer focused on the blastia that the mages carried on their persons. However, he was so focused on his sensing that he missed the others deciding to forgo the guards and find another way in.

"Naruto, c'mon," Yuri called to him as they approached a lone door off to the side and out of the guards' view. "This should get us in."

Karol grinned and stepped up to the door before he easily picked the lock and opened it for them. "There we go."

"Nice work, Karol."

"W-Wait, we're breaking in?" asked a surprised and worried Estelle.

Naruto raised a brow in confusion. "Why didn't we just ask the guards to let us in?"

"You weren't paying attention?" Karol asked. "They wouldn't let us in without passports and were real tightlipped about some guys named Mordio and Flynn."

"Not to mention that the name Mordio also made them really nervous," added Yuri. "What exactly had your attention away from us?"

"I was trying to feel out the mages of this city. There sure are a lot more than I expected, but none of them have a real deep connection to the aer."

Yuri nodded at that, pleased that the city didn't have many potential threats. "Alright then, let's go find Mordio."

Entering the doorway, the group arrived inside of a large library stacked to the brim with bookshelves and filled with studious mages. Naruto and Estelle were amazed at the sheer number of books while Yuri and Karol took the time to ask about Mordio. The Uzumaki saw this as the perfect opportunity to learn as much as he could about the world. Duke informed him of quite a bit, but the books most likely held much more detailed information.

"Hey guys," he began, getting their attention, "I'm gonna stay here and see what I can learn. I'm not too familiar with how things are considering my time learning as a Sage."

"You sure?" asked Karol. "I mean, we could help you out, you know."

The blonde shook his head with a kind smile. "Nah, I'll be fine. Just come back to get me after you find Mordio or if you decide to leave the city."

"Got it," promised Yuri as the trio and the dog left to find Mordio.

As they left, Naruto began to look through the shelves in search of anything that could help. However, something immediately caught his attention. _'Hey, do any of you guys find it strange how we can understand how these people talk, or even how I can understand their writings?'_

**"Hmm… Perhaps Kaguya's portal gave your mind knowledge on the communication so that you wouldn't be so lost?"** suggested Chomei. **"It seems to be a lucky break for you, Naruto-san."**

_'Maybe,'_ replied the Jinchuriki. _'But still, there's no sense looking a gift horse in the mouth. Let's see what we can find here.'_

And so, for about half an hour, Naruto skimmed through about five books that were subjected on aer and blastia while one of those five centered on the history of the Empire. The Bijuu also paid attention through Naruto's eyes, taking note of everything they could so that they could help Naruto understand.

A sudden voice broke the blonde out of his reading. "Hey, you!"

He blinked in confusion before he turned around and took note of the young woman standing in front of him. She had short brown hair, green eyes, and wore a strange and predominantly red outfit. However, what really surprised him was how in touch with the aer she was and how the blastia around her neck seemed so ready to take it in.

"Uh, did you need something miss…?" he began.

"Rita," she supplied. "My name's Rita Mordio, and I was told to find some blonde guy with strange whisker marks. You fit the bill, so I'm guessing you're Naruto?"

"That's right; Naruto Uzumaki. I'm assuming Yuri asked you to find me?"

She nodded as her arms crossed over her chest. "Yea, the doofus though I was some thief who took some blastia from the Capital. I'm no thief, and when I catch the jerk who's using my name, they're gonna get it."

Naruto smirked at that, not detecting any lie from her. "Well then," he began before he offered a hand and his smirk turned to a grin, "I'd be happy to help clear your name, Rita."

She looked to the hand skeptically before hesitantly taking it. "Yea, sure."

With the introductions done, the two headed out to the entrance to meet the others. Naruto had decided to take one of the books on aer and blastia with him, considering the mage in charge of the library saw that the book would be safe with Rita. However, Naruto frowned at how the other mages gave her a wide berth and whispered things when they thought she wasn't paying attention.

It was so much like his early life that he couldn't help but give them mild glares. Rita took note of this and asked, "What's got you so moody?"

He gave another mage a slight glare before he turned to her. "Sorry; just reminded of my past is all."

She studied his facial expression and took note of the "idiots" that were her fellow mages before she put two and two together. However, she stayed silent and just let the Sage be; not wanting to know what he was disliked for.

They finally reached the others and took of eastbound for the Shaikos Ruins. It was at the ruins that soldiers and other seedy groups were seen sneaking about; according to rumors heard by Rita. Once there, Naruto was impressed with how so much of the ruins were still standing.

"C'mon," Rita called out. "The underground entrance is this way."

"Oh I get it," Yuri began. "First you get us alone in the dark, and then you _zap_ us, huh?"

A sweatdrop formed on Naruto's head. "Seriously; 'zap' is what you use?"

"Hmm, _zap_… I like the way that sounds," mused Rita with a small smile.

"H-Hey Yuri, don't go giving her ideas now!" Karol cried in slight panic.

Estelle tried to ease the young lad's worry by placing a calm hand on his shoulder. "Let's all just try and get along now, okay?"

The mage led the others to a large statue that had drag marks next to it. "Here we are. This is the entrance to the underground. C'mon now, get pushing."

The males all had deadpan looks as she looked to the three of them expectantly. Naruto shook his head and stepped up to the statue with his hands in his coat pockets. He sighed in slight annoyance as he reared a leg back and boot kicked the statue with chakra added for more force. The statue easily slid out of the way and revealed hidden stairs while the others looked shocked at the heavy statue being moved with a single kick.

"Shall we?" asked the blonde as he made his way down.

The others followed suit and took sight of the still standing pathways in the underground caverns. Estelle looked the most excited. "This is my first time being inside ruins."

"It's places like this that hold the most secrets," Naruto commented with a small grin as he stepped up to the edge of the small ledge they stood on.

"Be careful down here," warned Rita. "It's slippery."

The others turned to look at her as she descended the stairs, though Naruto nodded in thanks for her concern. She grew uncomfortable with the staring of the others though.

"What?" she asked in irritation.

"I'm just surprised," commented Yuri. "You're actually a nice person."

Rita caught the subtle joke and scoffed. "I knew it'd be a pain to bring you along. I should've just come by myself."

"Do you always perform excursions on your own, Rita?" asked Estelle in slight concern.

"Yep," immediately replied the mage.

"Aren't you afraid you'll get hurt by monsters or traps?"

"Based on how calm she is," Naruto commented, "I'd say she knows how to handle herself quite well."

"He's right. Besides, there are always risks when you're trying to actually do something. If someone gets hurt, it's an acceptable loss."

"Even if _you're_ the one who got hurt?" prodded Estelle.

"Of course. No sacrifice, no victory."

"But don't you ever worry or hesitate?"

"Worrying about getting what you want without someone getting hurt?" asked Rita with a raised brow. "You've had an easy life."

"An easy life…" muttered Estelle, thinking of how she lived before she left the Capital.

"Besides, blastia will never betray me, so they're easy to work with."

The mage then kept moving while Estelle looked to her in slight awe. "Rita's amazing! She just comes out and says what she has to say!"

Yuri stepped up beside her and commented, "Well, she knows what's important to her."

"I wish I knew what was important to me."

"If you keep on travelling around, I'm sure you'll figure it out."

**X-x-X-x-X**

(Skit: Mage and Sage)

(Naruto and Rita are present)

Naruto: *reading through his book*

Rita: *moves closer* Hey.

Naruto: Hmm? What's up, Rita?

Rita: I was told by the kid that you've been calling yourself a Sage.

Naruto: *nods* That's right; I am.

Rita: *narrows eyes* Well, I don't believe it. Sages are wise beyond their years and spend years alone to understand the world. You don't look a day over fifteen!

Naruto: Uh, I'm actually seventeen, Rita. But anyway, it's true that I haven't really trained in the Sage Arts for long. But, my master was a Sage, and so was my sibling student. I learned from them and from the…people who taught my master.

Rita: How can you call yourself a Sage if you haven't truly trained for as long as one would?

Naruto: *smiles* Because in the end, I ascended to a state that Sages tried to reach for years and saved my home _and_ a lot of people with it.

Rita: *scrutinizing stare*

Naruto: Look Rita, you may not believe me, but I've never lied to my friends before. I consider you and the others as potential friends, so I don't plan on lying to you guys at all.

*he walks away while Rita looks stunned*

Rita: …Friends?

**X-x-X-x-X**

The journey through the ruins was quite annoying to the group. The monsters were much more numerous than above or even in the fields and the pathways were too narrow for their liking. On the upside, the monsters were numerous but weak. This made them easier to manage, though Naruto was quite bored using only taijutsu to fight.

The finally turned a corner when Rita knelt down beside some rubble and sighed. "Nope; this one is no good either."

"What's that?" asked Karol.

"It's blastia before they've been excavated," answered Naruto. "I saw some illustrations in the book I'm reading. It's basically the 'first stage' of blastia formation."

"He's right," Rita stated. "Though I wish I could figure out why the ancient civilizations buried them in the first place."

"With all of these blastia here, I don't suppose there are aque blastia lying around?" hopefully asked Yuri.

"Sorry, none of these have cores in them," Rita answered.

"Then, they don't work at all, huh?" Karol asked.

"Cores are called the 'heart' of blastia," Naruto stated. "Without a heart, could anything function?"

"They aren't excavated with cores and bodies together," added the mage.

"_Cores produce magic through formulas. Bodies control that magic_," Estelle said, reciting one of her books. "_The two combined are known as 'blastia'. Each blastia possess attributes and is marked by a crest that indicates those attributes. With current technology, blastia bodies can me produced, but producing cores is impossible_."

Yuri looked impressed by her knowledge. "So basically, cores are very valuable since they need to be excavated. I guess it's only natural thieves would want to steal them."

"That's…not quite true," Rita informed. "It seems Estelle's information is a bit outdated."

"What's outdated about it?" Karol asked.

"There's some degradation involved, but artificial cores have been produced."

"Really?!" Estelle asked in shock. "I never knew that!"

Rita nodded. "That's why I wouldn't do something as stupid as take cores. If I had time to waste doing things like that, I'd rather be spending it researching ways to completely restore incomplete or degraded cores. _That_ is what being a mage is all about."

Naruto smiled at the morality she had while Yuri gave her a slightly disbelieving look. "That's a noble creed, but it doesn't clear your name," he declared.

"Talk is cheap, I suppose," Rita consented. "Without solid evidence, I suppose I'm still just a suspect."

"Well," began Naruto, "all we need to do is find something to clear your name. I hate suspecting my friends."

Once again, Rita looked stunned at being called a friend while the others gave Naruto small smiles; even Repede. From that point on, the ruins got more puzzling for the group since they needed to use a Sorcerer's Ring – provided by Rita – to activate blastia with a Strihm Crest; a mark that indicates movement.

And so after much running around, fighting, and activating blastia later, the group finally walked up to a large stone creature that looked incredibly similar to the Sentinel monsters that they had fought.

"By the Kami," murmured Naruto as he looked at the sheer size of it while Rita ran up to it.

"H-Hey!" called out Yuri in surprise at her actions.

"Geez," Karol gasped out. "What is this thing? Is it a blastia too?"

"If it is, it's huge!" exclaimed Estelle.

"But what I want is the aque blastia; not this puppet," Yuri stated with a frown.

"What are you doing?!" raged Rita as she saw Yuri prod the blastia with his sword sheathe. "Don't just go poking him like that!" She then moved to behind the blastia and mused, "If I can just analyze him, I'll finally be able to finish my anima form- No, his blastia core is missing!"

"Not surprising if so many people came here to loot the place," commented Naruto before he and Yuri saw some movement from an upper area of the ruins behind the blastia.

"Rita, I think one of your friends is here," called out Yuri, making her frown.

She moved to them to get a better look at the man in a cloak. "Hey, who are you?"

"M-Me?" he stuttered. "I'm just a researcher from Aspio."

"Well, that sounded convincing," sarcastically commented Yuri.

"A-And just who the hell are all of you?" he fired back. "This place is off limits, you know!"

"I think you just gave yourself away," Rita declared. "I don't know who you are, but you're definitely not from Aspio if you don't recognize me."

Karol sweatdropped and commented, "Guess she's got no problems with modesty."

The cloaked man panicked at that and ran behind the blastia and pulled out a core while everyone readied themselves for a fight.

"Shit, he has the core!" cursed Naruto before the blastia came to life and swung at the closest target; Rita. The blonde growled and disappeared in a blur, reappearing in front of Rita and holding off the giant arm with a single hand.

The mage, who had tensed with her eyes close to take the blow, slowly opened them to see the Sage easily holding back the blastia. "N-Naruto…"

His head was bowed with his bangs covering his eyes as he spoke in a deathly calm tone. "Listen here, you bastard," he declared to the thief. "There's one thing I hate above all else, and that," he began pushing the arm back, "is harming," he then suddenly yanked the blastia puppet forward while a _**Rasengan**_ formed in his free hand, thrusting it forward, "my FRIENDS!"

The chakra sphere slammed into the puppet, blasting it back against the wall and shocking all of the spectators. "W-What was that?" asked Estelle.

Rita's eyes were wide as she saw the damage done. _'I-Incredible… He took solid energy and blasted the puppet back in a single attack. Just what was that, though? I don't see a single blastia on him!'_

Naruto watched as the puppet slowly stood back up and growled at it. "Guys, we need to work together to take it down."

"What are you saying?!" Rita yelled. "We can't hurt him when he doesn't know what he's doing!"

The blonde looked over his shoulder at her and saw the worry in her eyes for the blastia. He frowned slightly before his eyes closed and he sighed. "Fine, but we still need to stop it before it does anymore damage." The mage nodded to him in gratitude and stood up next to him with her scroll opened for battle.

(Play "KH2 OST: Desire for All that is Lost")

Yuri pulled out his sword while Karol took out a weapon with a broken tip, Repede pulled out a dagger, and Estelle drew a sword and shield. "Let's hurry up so we can catch that guy!" Yuri declared. "He's making a run for it!"

Naruto looked back to see the thief retreating and summoned a seal-less _**Shadow Clone**_, shocking the others again, that quickly took off after him. "There; now we can focus on this guy!"

The swordsman nodded and rushed the puppet with Naruto, Repede, and Karol. Rita prepared a _**Fireball**_ spell while Estelle used a Magic Lens to look at the attributes for the Goliath. "Everyone, it's weak to fire element!" she called.

"Perfect!" declared Rita before she unleashed her spell.

Naruto played support for the battle, pulling the others out of the way of dangerous spots and attacking in tandem with the guys. He spotted a cracked column that reached the cavern ceiling and ran up it while mentally calling out to his tenants.

_'Matatabi, give me some chakra!'_

**"Right!"** she replied, supplying the Sage with chakra as he held a tiger seal near his lips.

"_**Fire Style: Mouse Hairball**_!" cried the blonde, shooting a blue fireball with a black inner flame shaped like a small rodent. The shot then suddenly split into a dozen and raced towards the Goliath, engulfing it in bluish black flames.

"Nice one, Naruto!" called out Yuri as he swung his sword and released an _**Azure Edge**_ at the Goliath.

"C'mon, _**Dragon Upper**_!" cried Karol, swinging upward at full strength and striking the Goliath's chest.

"_**Fireball**_!" yelled Rita, releasing another dosage of flaming orbs at the puppet while Estelle added a _**Photon**_ spell for good measure. Repede then came up behind the blastia and struck at its legs with a _**Sonic Dog**_, knocking it off balance while Naruto dropped down with his leg raised high into the air.

"Here goes; _**Heaven Kick of Pain**_!" he roared, slamming his heel into the blastia's chest and cracking the body.

(End Music)

As soon as he landed, he yelled out, "Quick, take out the core!"

Rita was the first on the scene and she immediately pulled out the core with a soft apology to the blastia. The others sighed in relief while Naruto didn't even look winded.

"C'mon, we have to see if your double caught that guy," called Yuri as he ran to the exit with the others following.

Rita turned to the blonde as they ran and added, "You and I are gonna talk about those abilities of yours later."

He blinked at the commanding tone before shrugging and continuing along with the others. They reached the entrance to the outside and saw the man tied up while the clone was using the man as a seat.

"Took you guys long enough," it commented before it disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What the-? He just disappeared!" exclaimed Karol.

"Karol, we'll talk about it later," Yuri stated. "Right now, I'm wondering what a guy posing as a mage of Aspio is doing here."

"I-I-I've only been hired to do a job; honest! I was told I'd get a good pay for any blastia I find here!" quivered the man in fear.

"And you stole from the Imperial Capital too, didn't you?"

"W-What? The Capital? N-No way, not me!"

"Then maybe it was one of your friends?" asked Naruto with a scowl, making the man sweat.

"Y-Yea, it was that creep Dedecchi!"

"Is he the one using the name Mordio?"

"Yea, that's him! He's probably picking up his payment from the client right now!"

Rita stepped up and japed a finger painfully against the tip of the man's nose. "Who's this client of yours and where the hell is he holed up?"

The man winced in pain at the jabbing finger as he answered, "All I know is that he's stationed in Torim Harbor and was this huge bruiser of a guy with a scar on his cheek and an eye missing!"

"So, this guy's after blastia cores," mused Yuri.

"And just where did you steal your Sorcerer's Ring?" questioned Rita.

"W-Who say's I stole it?! It was given to me for the job!"

"Liar! That's not something a _boss_ gives his pick-pocketing lackeys!"

The man was nearly hyperventilating at the interrogation. "H-Honest! You gotta believe me!"

Karol hummed in thought. "This sounds pretty big; like somebody high up could be in charge of this."

"That's a good thought, Captain Karol," Yuri began, using the nickname he gave the lad. "This doesn't sound like your average group of thieves."

As if the man squirming wasn't enough to annoy Naruto, he suddenly started to complain. "Dammit, first the knights, then those monsters, and now a bunch of kids…"

"Knights?" Estelle asked in surprise. "So Flynn was here?"

"Yea!" cried the man, scowling at the name. "That damned knight!"

Having enough, Naruto hit him in the back of the neck to knock him out. "Geez, I thought he'd never shut up…"

Rita sighed in both relief and annoyance. Relief that the thief was finally quiet, and annoyance that she didn't get to hit the man. "I'll have the guards in Aspio pick him up later. Let's just get back to my house."

**X-x-X-x-X**

(Skit: Problems Already)

(Naruto and Kurama are present)

Naruto: As if it wasn't bad enough with figuring out a way for peace, now we have a group of thieves stealing from everywhere.

Kurama: **Not to mention the little runt's notion of the person in charge being someone high in the food chain.**

Naruto: True… Dammit, I was hoping it'd be a lot easier to figure out then this. Knowing my luck, it's just gonna be one damn problem after another.

Kurama: **You do seem to have both ends of the spectrum on your luck. I suppose having Chomei with us just magnified it; what with her being number seven and all.**

Naruto: Yea, no kid- Wait a second! *anime wide eyes* HER?! I thought you Bijuu were genderless?!

Kurama: *scoffs* **The Juubi was genderless since it was a _tree_ of all things. **_**We**_** Bijuu have genders since we were created by the Old Man Rikudo. Only Matatabi and Chomei are female while the rest of us are male.**

Naruto: *sweatdrops* Huh… Go figure.

**X-x-X-x-X**

(Location: Sealed City of Scholars, Aspio)

Estelle was downtrodden as the group reached the city. "So Flynn wasn't there after all."

"He was," countered Yuri. "We just missed him is all."

Rita looked confused and asked, "Just who is this 'Flynn' guy, anyway?"

"He's a friend of Yuri's," answered the pinkette.

Rita chuckled. "_Your_ friend? That must be a pain."

Yuri gave a dry laugh at that while the others gave small real ones. "It's more like Flynn's the pain… Anyway, you mind helping us in since those guards said we needed a passport?"

The mage nodded and tossed Yuri a passport while asking, "What did the guy even come to Aspio for anyway?"

Karol answered, "Well, the mayor of Halure said he came to Aspio to look for a mage to heal its tree."

"Ohh," Rita said, remembering something. "That rookie… He came to ask for my help too, but I was busy at the time."

"Was he alright?" asked a worried Estelle.

"Yea, I guess. Seemed like the resourceful type, so I wouldn't be surprised if he found some other mage to help him out."

"Then we should head back there next after we finish here," Estelle decided.

Rita shrugged, not really caring, before she asked Yuri, "So, do you trust me yet?"

Naruto spoke up before Yuri could. "She doesn't seem to be the thief type, Yuri."

"Hey, defend her all you want; but there's still no proof that she _didn't_ do it," stubbornly declared Yuri.

"But-!" Estelle began before Rita cut her off.

"Don't bother, Estelle. You can't make him believe me; though I really didn't do it, you know."

"Hmm," Yuri hummed, taking a moment. "Well…you don't seem to lean towards robbery in comparison to research."

The others smiled at that while Estelle teased, "I guess Yuri isn't used to admitting his feelings."

"What a weirdo," Rita added with a smirk. "Anyway, I'll let the guards know what happened. Wait for me at my place."

The other nodded and made their way to her hut to wait for her. It took a while, so Yuri took to lying on the wooden floor with Repede while the others sat down; though Naruto sat in a meditative pose and calmed himself.

Estelle seemed to fidget in her spot, prompting Yuri to comment, "If you want to find Flynn so badly, we can leave now."

"I know, but I… I want to say a proper goodbye to Rita."

"Then take it easy."

"Hey Yuri," began Karol, "what are you gonna do after this?"

"I'm planning to pay a _visit_ to the guy behind all the blastia thefts. Dedecchi is heading there too, so I'll be sure to _surprise_ him."

"In that case, we should make for Nor Harbor."

"Nor Harbor? I thought he said Torim?"

"Oh, I guess you didn't know. Nor and Torim are both ports of a city that expand over two continents. On the Ilyccian side – our side – there's Nor Harbor. Torim Harbor is on the other continent; the Tolbyccian one."

"Huh, so I guess we'll make our way to Nor Harbor then."

"I'm going back to Halure," stated Estelle. "I need to see if Flynn is there."

"Oh yea," Yuri said. "I better go with you just in case."

Estelle smiled in gratitude while Karol asked, "But won't the thief get away if we get sidetracked?"

"Relax, Karol. It's on the way, so we can see how the city's doing."

"Aw man, but I-"

"You gotta be somewhere?" interrupted Yuri. "A sick girlfriend with an incurable disease or something?"

Karol blushed at that but stayed silent as Rita came in. She took note of how Yuri was lounging and asked, "I know I asked you all to wait for me, but you really made yourselves at home, huh?"

Everyone but Naruto stood up and Yuri blandly stated, "Sorry for suspecting you."

Rita rolled her eyes and replied sarcastically, "What a heartfelt apology. I'll take it though, considering things worked out for me too."

"Right, well thanks for the hospitality, but we gotta get going."

"Going so soon?" asked the mage, absently noting how Naruto hadn't moved a muscle in his meditation.

"Yea, we don't want to overstay our welcome. Besides, we're in a bit of a hurry anyway."

Estelle then stepped up and gave a polite bow to the mage. "I'm so glad to have met you, Rita. I'm afraid we have to leave now, so I'll thank you properly for everything later."

Okay…" hesitantly replied Rita. She saw them prepare to leave before she asked, "What about Blondie?"

The others paused and took notice of Naruto still meditating. Yuri walked up to bop him on the head with his sheathe, but Naruto's hand shot up in a flash to stop it while his eyes slowly opened.

"You didn't have to try and hit me, y'know. I hope you guys don't mind it, but I plan to stay with Rita for a bit."

"Huh?" was the collective reply of everyone else before Estelle continued. "But why, Naruto?"

Standing up and popping out the kinks in his body, he answered, "Rita seems to be the most knowledgeable of all of us. There are things I need to know if I want to continue with my own goals; things I'm sure only she can teach me."

"Me?" asked a surprised Rita. "What do you need to know from me?"

He turned to her and answered, "Everything you know concerning the aer and blastia."

She blinked in surprise at the answer before she slowly nodded. "Fine, but you need to tell me about those techniques of yours and how you don't use a blastia for them."

While mentally deciding how to go about telling her, he nodded in agreement. "Deal."

She then smirked and turned back to the others. "Well then, let's get going."

"Huh?" intelligently asked Karol.

"Oh, so this is why you told us not to leave without saying goodbye," deduced Yuri.

"Yea."

"That's it?" questioned Karol. "Just 'yea'?"

"Can you just leave here like that? Aren't you an important mage here?" asked Yuri.

"Hmm… Well, I wanna take a look at Halure's tree blastia for myself. No sense leaving it broken like that, right?" she answered.

"Actually, we fixed Halure's tree," Estelle informed her, making her drop her jaw slightly.

"Wait, what? What do you mean you 'fixed' Halure's tree?"

"You know," Karol said, preparing to explain, "We revived it. It was great! Este-"

"Let's just say it was beginner's luck," interrupted Yuri.

"Now I'm really worried," Rita declared. "I have to go see if it was done properly or not."

Naruto looked to her questioningly. "So, we follow them then?"

"Yes. I'll teach you along the way while you do the same for me."

"Right."

**X-x-X-x-X**

(Skit: Quite the Team)

(Everyone is present)

Yuri: So we now have five people and Repede in our little group.

Estelle: I'm so happy we get to all travel together some more.

Rita: Someone's excited.

Naruto: Eh, she's just happy to have friends. She seems like the lonely, sheltered type.

Rita: And you know this because…?

Naruto: *chuckles* Trust me; I've seen all types of people. At any rate, we all make quite the team.

Karol: We do?

Naruto: Of course! Think about it; we have you and Yuri as frontline attackers with Repede providing support, Rita for long range with her spells, Estelle for healing and combat support, and me as overall backup.

Yuri: Overall backup?

Naruto: Yep! I've got tons of little tricks that can help out any member of the team, so I'm best for backup!

Rita: Whatever you say, Blondie. At any rate, you seem to know just how to categorize us for combat.

Naruto: *rubs head sheepishly* Yea well… Anyway, we should keep moving. *he leaves*

Yuri: It looks like our blonde Sage has had his fair share of combat before.

Repede: *agreeing bark*

*the others look thoughtful*

**X-x-X-x-X**

As the group left Aspio, none took note of Khroma hovering in the skies above them, keeping an eye on the blonde Uzumaki. She was pleased to see that he was fine after how bad his outfit looked upon his initial arrival into the world.

_'Thank goodness he's alright. If anyone can help Duke protect this world, it'd be him. Stay safe, Naruto Uzumaki. There is much to be done for Terca Lumireis,'_ she mentally prayed before she took off.

**X-x-X (End Chapter) X-x-X**

**And here we are with chapter two! As I said earlier, I will keep going on to honor the last wish of the woman I care for. I just ask for you all to support me as I keep writing. I will try not to let you down.**

**On another note, I'm in the process of developing a story idea for Naruto and the Teen Titans. I'm in the stages of planning with a friend of mine, so it won't be up for a good while.**

**As a final note, due to him constantly helping me in planning for **_**this**_** story, I'm officially naming DJexe as my co-author for this FanFiction! Thanks again for all the help in this, bro!**

**pain17ification**


End file.
